Separable button



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Nov. 27 1923.

Quorum! Patented Nov. 27, 1923.

UNITED STATES GEORGE GLOUTIER. OF ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEPARABLE BUTTON.

Application filed April is, 1923. Serial No. 632,937.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE CLOUTIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Attleboro, in the county of Bristol and State 6 of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Separable Buttons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in 1 separable buttons, and has for its object to provide a button formed in two parts, one of which parts is provided with a stud member and the other with a socket member, the socket member having a plate or support with a U-shaped spring mounted therein, between the arms of which the stud of the opposite member may be forced to releasably connect the two members of the button together.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features .of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation show ing my improved construction of button as shaped to form separable cufi' buttons, the two parts of the button being connected to- 30 gether.

Figure 2 shows the parts of the button illustrated in Figure 1, as moved to separated position, the stud member having been withdrawn from the socket member.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the spring disk or plate as being provided with a transverse opening in which the U- shaped spring is mounted. s Figure 4 is a plan view showing the spring plate as inclosed in a guide plate, the latter having a central opening to permit the passage of the stud of the opposite member into and out of engagement with the socket member. v

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing the head of the stud with a reduced neck portion engaged by the side arms of the U-shaped spring.

Figure 6 is a section on line 6--6 of Figure 3,1 showing the spring as mounted in its p ate.

Figure 7 illustrates stud and socket members of a separable stud button, the socket member being provided with a tubular guiding neck portion.

Figure 8 is the same as Figure 7 without the tubular guiding neck.

Figure 9 shows stud and socket members of a button, the stud member being provided with a square shoulder under its head to lock the two members together when the head is inserted between the arms of the spring.

Figure 10 shows a snap fastener type of button wherein the stud is connected closely to the body member to engage the socket plate which is mounted in'the body of the cooperating member.

It is found in the practical construction of a separable button such as a cult button, collar button, snap fastener and the like, of advantage to construct the engaging members so that they may be readily forced into engagement with eachother and bound just sufficiently to prevent the button from separating under normal strains to which it is subjected, at the same time permitting the parts of the button to be separated when desired without undue exertion; and the following is a detailed description of one construction of so-called snap fastening means by which the members of my improved button may be releasably retained together With reference to the drawings, 10 designates the outer heads of the cooperating members of a cufl button, and 11 the inner heads thereof, the two heads of each member being connected by a post 12.

The inner head of the stud member 13 is herein shown as being provided with an outer plate 14 projecting from which is a stud head 15 slightly pointed at its end 16 and having a reduced neck portion 17 to receive the embracing arms of the spring when the parts are connected together. The inner head of each socket member 18 is provided with a disk plate 19 having a transverse opening 20 through it, the walls at one end of the opening being notched as at 21 to receive the free ends 22 of the U-shaped spring 23 and so prevent these free ends from spreading when the arms are opened or spread internally by the passage of the stud head between them. The end 24 of the opening 20 in the disk is slightly wider than the bridge portion 25 of the spring whereby this bridge portion is permitted to be moved laterally in this opening sufliciently to centralize the side arms of the spring when the stud is forced between them and the sides 26 of the opening are sufiiciently cut away to permit of such expansion.

The wire or this spring is preferably of a diameter less than the thickness of the plate 26 in which it is mounted and the plate is usually formed of base n'ietal. hen it is desired to inclose this plate in a precious metal casing, an outer cup-shaped plate 27 is provided into which the spring plate is set, then aback plate as illustrated in Figure 1, which forms the inner flange of the stud 12 is fitted into this plate 27 and the edges of the cup are folded over this back plate at 29, thus securing the whole together, the front plate 27 being provided with anopening 30 through which the stud head of the opposite member is adapted to pass and be guided between the arms of the U-shaped spring. As above stated, one end 15 of the spring is loosely mounted to permit the side arms to adjust themselves laterally into axial alignment with the entering stud so as to grip both sides of the stud with a uniformtension in a manner as best illustrated in Figure 5.

I have described my improved form of fastening members as applied to a cuff button but this construction may be applied to such other forms of buttons as illustrated in Figures 7 to 10 inclusive, in which Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a stud member 31 adapted to fit into a 'socket member 32 through a neck 33, and Figure 8 shows the same stud member 31 and the socket member 32' without the neck 83; Figure 9 is similar to Figure 8 with the exception that the shoulder 34 under the head 31 is cut square so as to more securely lock the stud to the socket member 32 upon engagement therewith; and in Figure 10 the stud member 36 is connected closer to the body member 35 and is adapted to fit into a socket member 37, which socket member in each case is constructed with a U-shaped spring substantially the same as above described.

My improved button is extremely simple and practical in construction and effective in its operation.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A separable button comprising a body member having a stud projecting therefrom with a head and a reduced neck portion, av

second cooperating socket member having a hollow head, a plate with an opening through it mounted between the walls of said head, and an elongated U-shape'dspring mounted in the opening in said plate, the

free ends of said spring being held against expansion by the walls of said plate, the side arms of said spring being adapted to be spread by the in-and-out passage of said stud.

2. A separable button comprising a body member having a projecting stud, a coop- -crating socket member having a hollow head, an intermediate plate having an opening therein, an elongated U-shaped stud engaging spring mounted in said plate opening, the walls of said opening engaging the free ends of said spring holding them against expansion, a front guide plate for said hollow head, a central stud receiving opening in said intermediate plate, the bridge portion of thespring being free to be moved laterally in its opening into axial alignment with said stud opening by the entering studto yieldably retain the two members together.

'3. A separable cu'if button comprising cooperating stud and socket members, each having an inner and an outer head, the stud member having a connecting stud projecting from its inner head, the socket member having a plate inclosed in its inner head provided with an elongated transverse opening, a Ushaped spring mounted in said opening havin rits free ends retained in said plate against lateral spreading movement, the side arms of the spring being adapted to be spread to permit passage of the stud head of the opposite member therebetween to releasably lock the two members together.

a. A separable .cufi' button comp-rising cooperating stud and socket members, each having an inner and an outer head, a connecting stud projecting from the inner head of said stud member, the socket member having a hollow inner head, a plate inclosed in said inner head provided with an elongated transverse opening, a U-shapedspring -mounted in said opening and having its free ends fixed by the walls of said opening against spreading apart, an inner guide plate on said head having a central stud guiding hole, the arms of said spring being laterally adjustable in its opening into axial alignment with said stud upon entering said hole, the side arms of the spring being adapted to be spread to permit the passage of said stud head therebetween whereby said two bottom members are releasably connected together.

5. A separable cuff button comprising cooperating stud and socket members, each having an inner and an outer head, the stud member having a connecting stud projecting from its inner head, the socket member having, its inner head formed of spaced apart front and back plates, the latter havinga vstud receiving. opening ,therethrough, a U-shaped spring mounted between said plates, and a spacer about said spring beadapted to be spread to permit passage of tween said plates of a thickness greater than the stud head of the opposite member therethat of the spring to prevent sald front and between When entering through the open- 1 back plates from gripping said spring and ing in said front plate to releasably lock the 5 said spacer providing means for retaining tWo members together.

the free ends of said spring against spread- In testimony whereof I affix my signature. ing, the side arms of the spring being GEORGE CLOUTIER. 

